DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks already had one guard who knows Kobe Bryant implicitly – and has the defensive prowess to defend him – in Jason Kidd. They went out and got another one at the trade deadline in Caron Butler.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of an ever-increasing number of Lakers fans, Bryant’s hopes for another championship could be foiled by another guard … on his own team.

Old buddy Derek Fisher.

Fisher is fast moving into Bryant longtime territory of being an uncommonly divisive player. That’s actually not altogether surprising given that Fisher has a lot of characteristics in common with Bryant. Both would never fail to believe in themselves, which means they’re perfectly willing to believe they’re better than they really are – which isn’t exactly an endearing quality.

But if Fisher believes he’s better than he really is right now, so does Phil Jackson. And ultimately, that’s where the Lakers are with this: They still trust Fisher to do what they need done, which I’ve tried to explain before can’t be boiled down to a shooting percentage or judged by the speed of a defensive slide.

It’s the Lakers’ trust that Fisher will do the right things for the team on the floor that keeps him out there.

That is rooted in but not limited to all the goodwill he has amassed in his past. It’s also that the Lakers don’t have anyone better – and that’s the angle that should be more of a concern for Lakers fans.

Fisher is a role player who isn’t going to be great every night, which means there will be opportunities and some need situations for others to pick up his slack. But as we near March – Jackson’s post-trade-deadline comment that the club is “perfectly happy with the combination of guards we have here” notwithstanding – there is considerable uncertainty.

The contributions Shannon Brown made over those five games Bryant missed came while playing Bryant’s freelance part, not the lead-guard role. It remains impossible to envision Brown becoming as capable as Fisher – the triangle-offense organizer, the fundamentally sound man and the floor leader.

“A different kind of basketball” is what Sasha Vujacic calls what the Lakers have settled into playing this season when Brown is in the game.

“Not exact triangle,” Vujacic said last week.

Particularly when next to Jordan Farmar on the second unit, Brown gets license from Jackson to do the things on the court he knows out how to do. Those things are not of the make-your-teammates-better ilk that the Lakers need most when the teammates are as good as Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.

Farmar, meanwhile, is running out of days to establish any consistency as Fisher’s backup. Vujacic has been trained in lead-guard duties before but isn’t that kind of player – and wasn’t even with the team when it arrived in Memphis on Monday because of his sprained shoulder. (On the bright side, Vujacic’s girlfriend, Maria Sharapova did win the Cellular South Cup tournament in Memphis the day before.)

The Lakers had hoped that Farmar would finally blend stability with sensation this season or Brown would at least show some promise as a lead guard. Neither has happened since the season started with those guys being so bad that Jackson kept exceeding the 22-to-24 minutes he had planned to be Fisher’s nightly limit.

The Lakers need the next few months to tell them more about their future. Brown, Farmar and Fisher are all set up for free agency after the season. Plus, Vujacic’s contract turns from albatross as the trade deadline to potential endowment in 2010-11, when he becomes a fit for clubs craving expiring contracts.

Maybe the Lakers still make Kirk Hinrich, wife Jill and daughter Kenzie part of the Lakers’ family in the offseason with his contract actually decreasing the next two years. If the Bulls remain iffy on needing Hinrich, they could have him and Brown swap No. 12 jerseys and land a newly signed Brown – obviously an exciting prospect who also grew up down the road from United Center – with Vujacic’s expiring contract in trade.

Then Hinrich starts next season, Fisher returns at a low wage as the fallback option, and Farmar leaves for a pick-and-roll team while cursing the triangle on his way out the door.

Brown staying and starting in Fisher’s place next season? That would take a lot of redistribution of roles to ease Brown’s burden. It’s more likely Fisher comes back to help mold another low-priced, steady hand who comes in free agency – someone such as Steve Blake, whom the Lakers like.

It all depends on this postseason, though – and whether Fisher, 35, is still worthy of the trust.

Fisher shot 42 percent from the field last regular season to get his 10-point average. But in the NBA Finals, he shot 50 percent – averaging 11 points … made a couple of 3-pointers you might remember.

He’s down to 38 percent shooting from the field this season. On Wednesday night in Dallas, he shot 3 for 13. Bryant made a point of noting after the Lakers’ loss that the Mavericks’ double-team treatment of Gasol is why Fisher got those 13 shots.

Fisher obviously did not make Dallas pay.

Then again, consider that Brown and Farmar combined to screw up the defensive coverage on the last play of the third quarter, allowing Jason Kidd a 3-pointer. The Lakers lost the lead there and never did get it back.

Jackson later cited it as a potential turning point in the game, because the fourth quarter began with three Lakers turnovers in five possessions. Yes, Brown and Farmar were still out there.

It had made no difference that Brown and Farmar were absolutely roasted by Jackson’s fire-breathing criticism in the huddle after Kidd’s 3-pointer. Artest was moved to try and be the extinguisher, whipping around to guys and trying to break the tension Jackson left behind.

As good as the Lakers are, that tension in the backcourt exists going forward.

And it’s the pressure-loving Fisher who is still the least likely to get cooked.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.